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Recently, the Luoyang Ancient Tomb Museum has launched a special exhibition called "The Charm of Locks - Sanming Museum Lock Exhibition", inviting citizens and tourists to experience the development history of Chinese ancient locks together.

Lock is the crystallization of Chinese civilization, with a history of thousands of years. According to research, as early as ancient times, people wrapped valuable items in animal skins and tied them with ropes and special knots to show ownership of the items. This type of knot requires a tool called a bone file to be used to unravel, and the knot and bone file are the prototype of locks and keys. When the door appears, the wooden bolt that controls the opening and closing of the door is a simple wooden lock.

The emergence of metal locks dates back to the Bronze Shop during the Yin and Shang dynasties, and has been passed down and evolved for over 3000 years. During the Han Dynasty, a true metal lock with a reed structure emerged. By the Tang Dynasty, locks had become very popular, and the Ming and Qing dynasties were the heyday of ancient locks. In the 1930s, low-cost low welding hook locks, blade locks, and bullet locks gradually entered China, and the Chinese ancient lock withdrew from the historical stage.

This exhibition showcases over a hundred ancient locks, mainly metal locks from the Ming and Qing dynasties. With the help of exquisite handicrafts, locks, as a daily tool, are carved with exquisite patterns and blessing texts, thus possessing countless symbolic meanings and embodying people's longing for a better life. The reporter selects several representative types and provides a brief introduction for you.

Huaqi Lock

Huaqi locks refer to locks with various shapes, specifically designed for locking cabinets, boxes, drawers, etc. This type of lock breaks away from a single square shape, with animals, characters, words, plants, etc. as its original form, and combines practicality and aesthetics, reflecting the humanistic spirit of various eras.

At the exhibition site, reporters saw Huaqi locks in the shapes of fish, pipa, monkey, dog, butterfly, violin, and lucky. According to the guide, the fish shaped lock is a relatively common Huaqi lock. In the Tang Dynasty's "Zhi Tian Lu", it was said that "the lock must be made of fish, and the meaning is to guard the door day and night." Because fish sounds like "surplus", the fish shaped lock is often engraved with words such as "surplus every year" and "effortless", symbolizing the hope for a prosperous and peaceful life.

Password lock

The most mysterious thing in the exhibition is the password lock. Nowadays, password locks are usually unlocked with fingerprints, numbers, etc. How did ancient password locks "encrypt"?

The reporter noticed that these password locks are composed of metal rings with engraved text on them. At first glance, there is no pattern, but upon closer reading, it can be found that the text on the rings can be connected into poetry or auspicious sayings, such as "double holding longevity and happiness" and "ten thousand taels of gold". According to the guide, this type of lock does not have a key and can only be opened by turning the metal ring and assembling it into a fixed Chinese character.

The text on the lock ring is not uncommon, wouldn't it be easily cracked? The interpreter explained that for modern people, unlocking passwords was not a difficult task, but in ancient times when not everyone could go to school or study, it was still quite difficult because there were too few people who could read at that time. Therefore, password locks should be anti-theft tools only used by wealthy families in ancient times.

Jewelry lock

Jewelry lock, commonly known as "accessory lock" or "longevity lock", is a type of accessory worn by people to "seek good luck and avoid bad luck". It has shapes such as Ruyi, Yuanbao, flowers, and animals. The two sides of the lock body are often engraved with auspicious characters such as Fu, Lu, Shou, Xi, Longevity for a Hundred Years, Ruyi auspiciousness, Yutang wealth and prosperity, and exquisite flower and bird patterns.

At the exhibition site, you can see the popular "longevity lock" from the Ming and Qing dynasties, which has a unique design and exquisite craftsmanship. After a child is born, parents specially make a silver lock or collar for them, aiming to "lock" their life.

The exhibition is located on the west side of the first floor of the Mural Gallery of the Luoyang Ancient Tomb Museum and will be held until February 29th.

（Article&Pictures by Luoyang Daily Integrated Media|Luoyang Net Reporter Zhihui, Correspondent Liu Zixin)

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